Healthcare apathy not helping women

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The conversation about Jamaica’s declining birth rate often focuses on numbers, but behind those statistics are women who must consider having children. Several women have told me about how they were treated at public hospitals. One woman said, while she was having contractions and crying out in pain, a nurse looked at her and told I can be that bad. Another woman said that she was having her baby prematurely, her water had broke when a nurse told her to sit down on a chair and wait.

A lady who had a c-section, woke up from the anaesthesia to found out her baby was in the neonatal intensive care unit, when she asked for an update on her baby’s condition they told her go and check on the baby herself. Many mothers have also complained about dirty bathrooms. These stories are not encouraging, and maybe that’s why women are choosing to be child free.

Also, more women today are pursuing a career rather than having children. Some women migrate and they may choose to start a family there than in Jamaica. In order to fix the current declining birthrate situation we must first address how the healthcare system treats women.

REHANA ROBERTS